In Love and War
by KillsMeNot
Summary: AU story. College is just full of... love and war. SLASH! Altair/Malik.
1. Chapter 1

"**In Love and War**"

_Chapter 1_

* * *

><p><strong><span>WARNING:<span> CONTAINS YAOI, SLASH, MALE x MALE, (etc.). IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT, DO NOT READ IT. Thank you.**

**Rated for language and sexual references.  
><strong>

Pairing(s): Altair/Malik, some Desmond/Shaun.

Summary: A modern AU story. College is just full of... love and war.

Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed and characters rightfully belong to Ubisoft.

**AN: Hope you enjoy the story! Seems writing Altair and Malik in an AU setting is all I can do... I will write them non-au one day! Just you wait! Anyways, reviews are appreciated! C: First chapter.**

* * *

><p>Another day started with a hangover. <em>The usual<em>. Throbbing pain pounded through his head as the small alarm next to his bed went off loudly buzzing in his ear. Altair shuffled in the bed- half awake, half asleep. An arm extended to silence the annoying clock on the nightstand next to his bed. Once the clock was off, he laid there, not really willing to leave his bed. His head hurt. His stomach felt like someone had punched him at least a hundred times. He couldn't even recall what happened last night. Altair had been drunk beyond all belief at a party he didn't even want to go to. Why did his friends always insist on dragging him to them? And why did he always insist on leaving them drunk enough to numb his senses?

Altair shifted again to turn to his side. He had classes to attend to- though there was no actual chance he'd actually go. He stopped when he felt something rather heavy on his arm under his thick blankets. The confused man lifted up his sheets only to see a half naked woman. The whore- as everyone referred to her as. Maria Thorpe. Shit. He couldn't even remember how they ended up in bed together or why she was half naked in his bed. Shit- he only hoped he wouldn't catch some sort of STD...

The woman stirred some at the sudden cool air passing on the upper half of her body. He saw her long, fake lashes flutter open. The woman's head looked up towards him as her cherry red stained lips spread into a small smile.

"Did you sleep well? Though I doubt if you were even able to catch any sleep." She giggled as one of her pale hands rubbed the crests in his abdomen. Altair shivered at her touch. Not really the morning wake up he wanted.

Maria pulled herself away from the man, standing up and stretching the stiffness from last night. She was both topless and braless so Altair had to look away. Maria noticed this and giggled once more. Her hand traced his jawline as she gently led his face to look at her again.

"You're shy? How cute. Don't worry. I'll help you overcome your shyness." Maria left a chaste kissed on his scarred lips and pulled away. The woman then proceeded to pull on one of _his_ shirts and collected her scattered things. She went to the door of his apartment and before leaving, she turned to him with a wink. "I'll call you." And then blew him a kiss as closed the door behind her.

Altair could only stare as the door closed. He had no words for what just happened. Over processing it would only lead to a bigger headache. Forgetting about it would just cause trouble. The brunette groaned as he rubbed his hands over his throbbing temples. Advil- he needed Advil.

It seems today he chose to go to classes today. He needed to talk to his friends who were actually at the party. To get the story how his night started and ended because honestly- he couldn't remember past his first drink.

Lunch was served on the campus of his college. Most students chose to eat at the campus because it was more convenient and they could talk to their friends without leaving and wasting gas.

"There he is!" It was the first thing his friend had cried out when they all saw him. Knowing smiles and laughs were passed among them- everyone knew, except for Altair.

"Dasten, what exactly happened last night?" He questioned not even bothering to greet his friends as he sat down at the table with the group of five.

"Ah, you sly dog. You honestly can't remember?"

"I can't say that I do... I woke this morning... and Maria Thorpe was in my bed."

The group roared with both laughter and jeers.

"After your third beer, you started dancing like a madman!" His friend laughed. "You are quite the dancer my friend. You attracted the attention of many women, including Maria Thorpe herself."

"She's the most popular girl here. What I wouldn't give to sleep with a woman like that." One friend cut in.

Altair stared at them all, unamused. This was exactly why he did not like going to parties. They always ended badly.

"Anyways- even with the multiples of girls surrounding you, you took home Maria. And i'm guessing you two had a busy night, eh?" Dasten smirked while elbowing him in the side. Altair brushed his off with knitted brows. This situation wasn't good at all. For all he knew- he could be carrying an STD.

"We didn't do anything... She was only half naked when I woke up."

"But there is still this you can do, _half naked_."

Oh, the embarrassment. The brunette buried his head into a hand as he sipped his bottle of cold water. His friend around him talked joyously about the party last night. How many women they laid. How many women they should have laid. His friend were his polar opposites. Altair was always the quiet one out, but somehow they were attracted to him like a magnet. He didn't what about him even landed his friends in the first place. But none the less, they were fun to be around. Even if they did drag him to parties that he rarely ever remembered.

His status on campus you could say was a good one too. Altair never planned on making it that way. But like his friends, people were attracted to him like magnets. They were always so eager to know him- met him. Women basically threw themselves at his feet, not like he wouldn't take up the offer. Most of the campus population knew who he was. He honestly didn't know what he did to become so... "popular".

As lunch wore one, Altair finished a tray of food offered to him by his friends and his bottle of water. He was about to get up to throw away his trash, when someone or something came flying into his back.

"Clumsy piece of shit- you coulda broke my toes with your elephant feet."

Altair turned with confusion written on his expression. It seemed like the statement was directed at him. Before him stood a rather large male who looked like one of those everyday jocks who loved to brag about their pride. The man's eyes were directed to something below him and Altair looked down to see the one who had collided with him. It was a young looking male with tan skin and short, cut black hair. His eyes were pierced blue that held fear and worry in them.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I- didn't mean to step on your foot. It was an accident, I swear." The man on the ground quivered.

The larger male took a step forward and reached down and grabbed the blue eyed man by the shirt collar. He was easily hoisted up and the larger man growled at him.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it. I'm gonna beat you until I'm satisfied."

By now- most of the campus' attention was on them. No one seemed to want to help the guy on the verge of tears. Cliche much. Altair was about to step forward, until another male stepped in. He saw the newcomer grab the large man by the arm. Altair wasn't sure what happened, because the next thing he knew, the large man had released his prey and was now glaring daggers at the new target.

This man looked similar to the one with blue eyes. Except his eyes were charcoal black and he wore a small, neatly trimmed goatee on his chin. He also looked a few years older. Something about this man was somewhat more captivating then his look-a-like. Maybe they were brothers? The next thing the charcoal eye guy said made him confirm this.

"Leave my brother alone. If you want to pick on someone your own size- choose me." His words weren't at all scared like his brother's. His voice dripped with venom as charcoal eyes threatened the large man in his sights. There was something slightly off about this man though. Altair saw his right fist clenched tightly at his side through the black cardigan he wore, but it seemed his left sleeve was slightly longer then the other, because he couldn't see his other hand. It was when a slight breeze picked up the left cardigan sleeve- blowing it backwards then how a normal arm usually bends- that Altair realized that, the man had no left arm at all!

"He's... missing an arm." Altair pointed out, looking astonished at the scene before him. Was that massive guy really going to hit a cripple? It was time for him to step in.

As a punch was being thrown, Altair intervened somewhere in the middle, catching the large man's fist just in time before it made contact.

"What the fuck?" The bigger man shouted.

"You should leave- if you know what's best for you." Altair's golden eyes stared at the man hard. With only his stare, he was able to send the man off. Wise choice.

He turned to see the older brother helping the one on the floor to his feet. With his only arm, the man had dusted off his younger and was asking if he was alright. The younger nodded with his head held low in embarrassment. Altair could only stare at the older male. Watching the expression soften as he spoke to his younger brother. He hadn't even realized the man was talking to him right now.

"-ouble."

"Sorry?"

The man with the goatee looked annoyed now when Altair shook himself back to reality.

"I said- sorry for causing you trouble." The annoyed male repeated.

"Glad to help."

"We didn't need your help." The man shot back and Altair could only look at him in surprise.

"Come again?"

"We. Did. Not. _Need_. Your. Help. I am perfectly capable of handling these situations."

Right- you defend a guy and he gives you shit for it. What kind of world was this? At least he could have said thank you. A frown spread across his scarred lips at the chip on the man's shoulder.

"Really. Because it really seemed like you didn't with-" He stopped himself before he mentioned the man's missing arm.

The older brother glared at him, before taking his younger sibling by the arm to leave. As they walked off, the blue eyed one turned his head and mouthed he words, "thank you" and Altair could only nod. His younger brother seemed like a nice person. Why the hell was the older one such an ass? He sighed as he made his way back to his group.

"See you met the Al-Sayf brothers."

Altair turned his head to looked up at Dasten, "Al-Sayf?"

"Yeah, they're pretty well known around here. Well, the younger one, Kadar is. They usually are seen together all the time. The younger brother, although not the biggest dare devil, he's a pretty cool guy to hang around. He could hold his alcohol, that's for sure." Dasten said with a small laugh.

"What of the older one?" Altair questioned, seeming to be more interested in him instead.

"The older one's a total dick. No one knows what his problem is. He doesn't seem to have any friends, a lot of people like to avoid this guy. He works at the library even though he's a student here too. He's missing an arm, no one really knows how he lost it though because he's a total asshole and brushes everyone who even tries to get near him away."

"...His name?"

"Malik Al-Sayf."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! First chapter = poop.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

"**In Love and War**"

_Chapter 2_

* * *

><p><strong><span>WARNING:<span> CONTAINS SLASH, MALE x MALE. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT, DO NOT READ IT. Thank you.**

**Rated for language and sexual references.  
><strong>

Pairing(s): Altair/Malik, with some mention of other pairings.

Summary: A modern AU story. College is just full of... love and war.

Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed and characters rightfully belong to Ubisoft.

**AN: I know it's been… forever and I appreciate everyone's patience! =D I honestly don't know where this story is going...**

* * *

><p>As if he hadn't had enough slept enough during the day- Altair was caught by his professor taking a nap during a lecture and was kicked out for disrupting the class with his snoring. <em>He didn't snore.<em>

"Don't bother showing your face tomorrow if you do not intend to learn." It was the last thing Al Mualim told him before slamming the door shut.

Great. Thus must have been the fourth time this week.

It was his last class of day. So common sense made Altair decide to go back to his apartment. But not before giving the old man behind the door the bird. The brunette sighed tiredly reaching up and rubbing his eyes as he yawned loudly and obnoxiously. He didn't even know why he bothered to show his face at the school. He didn't even know why his parents bothered to get him into college. As if grade school, middle school, and high school weren't bad enough- he had to deal deal with the same assholes as he did then, only they were now taller. The only things he needed to know, as he believed, was how to ride a motorcycle and be faster then the next guy to win the money and the race.

He was a competitive motocycle racer. Not _motor-cross_. Fuck that shit. They used a race track illegally once every week- preferably a Saturday- to race motorcycles. People come down and bet on the fastest motorist. And he barely ever lost. Key word: _barely. _Altair strived to be the best. Though he was one of the top racers, he wasn't the best. It was a dangerous sport as it was illegal. He's known some racers to crash and severely injure themselves. They broke arms, legs, ribs, even tail bones. But some weren't that lucky.

But hey, it was a living for him.

It was now that Altair realized that he didn't really feel like walking all the way back to his apartment complex. He had gotten a ride this morning from one of his friends so his motorcycle was left back home. Allah, curse it all. He was usually athletic. Jogging back would've have been no sweat off his back. But waking up with a hangover did wonders for your sense of motivation. _Sarcasm_.

He would have to wait until his one of his friends were finished with class.

Waiting outside with chilled winds wasn't his first choice. So he decided to stay inside before getting kicked out for loitering. But maybe they wouldn't accuse him of loitering if he was actually doing something. And he knew exactly what.

His gold eyes stared at the black, bold words that read, "library".

A small part of him was convinced he was only going in to pass the time. A large part of him knew that he was going in because Malik Al-Sayf worked in here. He was merely curious about the other. There was a small possibility he would even be able to see the man. But none the less, his arms were already opening the large wood door.

It smelled somewhat odd in the foreign place. Altair rarely ever visited here. Scratch that. He_ never_ visited here. This was his first time actually setting foot in the campus's library. And it was only just this afternoon he learned that they even had a library. Altair wasn't stupid nor ignorant. He once was a straight A student believe it or not. It wasn't until motorcycle racing was introduced into his life that Altair started care less and less about schoolwork. Granted, Altair was a bright man; when he wanted to be. It was the over confident personality of his that everything was going to work out in the end that got in the way.

It was the choices he made that made him a complete dumb ass.

"Hello- oh!"

It was a little disappointing when blue eyes looked at him from behind the counter. He almost cursed in his mind when he saw the younger of the Al-Sayf brother.

"You're from earlier. Altair, right?" The younger brother gave him a wide smile with white, flawless teeth.

He nodded slightly though his attention was elsewhere. It was looking at the books on the cart with his hands stuffed inside his white jacket. It should have been obvious Altair wasn't one for small talk nor did he have any interest in the other. But the younger male's smile never once faltered as bright blue eyes looked excitedly towards Altair.

"My name's Kadar." Once again, Altair only nodded in acknowledge.

"Listen, I know it doesn't mean much. But I wanted to thank you for earlier."

"It wasn't a big deal." Altair shrugged half-heartedly as he finally looking up to meet the other's eyes.

Kadar looked down as soon as his gold eyes looked at him. He could've sworn he saw a faint blush across the boy's tan skin as Kadar fumbled with the book that was currently in his hands. His eyes darted from it to the computer screen on the counter.

"But I really appreciate it. My brother w-"

"Kadar, are you done sorting out those labels?"

Another voice cut in and Altair's attention immediately went to alert mode.

The man with the black cardigan, charcoal eyes, and neatly trimmed goatee emerged from the room from behind the counter. He took one look at Altair and frowned deeply.

"You. Why are you here?" He heard the man growl.

There was that asshole personality again. It infuriated Altair that this man thought he had the right to speak to him like he was some kind of disease. But yet- he couldn't be as angry as he wanted to be.

"It's a library. Last time I checked, anyone is allowed in here." Altair snapped back. Maybe not hobos of course but that's an entirely different subject.

He saw the older brother scowl at him.

"Malik, this is-"

"I fucking know who he is. Get out of here." Malik's eyes then went to the cart of books to his side. His only working extended out, ready to push it.

What the hell was his problem? Did he think he _owned_ the library? Altair's brow knitted together and a deep frown painted over his features.

"It's a free country."

Malik's scowl only darkened as Altair tested his patience. He saw the man's fist clench and unclench as if debating whether to just jump over the counter and punch the living daylights out of him. But somewhere deep down- Altair was enjoying this. Maybe he was sadistic in some way. But he liked seeing the older brother's feathers so ruffled. And only heaven knows why the man hated him so much- especially since they've never met before. The one-armed man swiftly turned and pushed the cart of books; running over Altair's foot in the process. The brunette cursed out loud, more worried about his shoes being stained than any toes actually being broken.

"What's your problem, huh? What did I ever do to you?" He glared towards the back of the man who just ran over his foot.

Malik turned towards Altair, "Nothing. And that is exactly the precise reason why you should the _fuck_ away from me and my brother."

Altair's brows knotted in confusion. He couldn't understand. Did everything just not make sense anymore? Or was it just in that skull of Malik's? He watched intently whilst the oldest one walked away and disappeared into one of the many aisles of books in the library. Only when he heard a sigh did he finally snap his attention back to the brother behind the counter.

"I'm really sorry for my brother. He's… just… he doesn't really like people."

"Why?" It sounded more like a demand than a question.

Kadar looked at him with sad, blue eyes and Altair couldn't help but to see why Malik was softer on his brother. Altair's expression had returned to neutral, although his mind was just exploding with questions about Malik. For some reason, he was just so interested in him. It was rare that another person ever caught Altair's attention, and be _male_. His best options would be to quit now- but he was Altair. Quitting was never an option.

* * *

><p>It snowed later that day, covering everything in a thick, one-foot blanket. It was days like this that Altair preferred staying indoors. Hibernating. He hated the cold and the cold hated him. He sat in his couch, covered with layers of blankets and watching t.v. Although he wasn't really paying attention. Altair was on a fine line of dozing off and staying awake. Just as his eyes closed, there was a knock on his door. He didn't even think twice before deciding not to answer. He didn't even care who it was on the other side. The man stayed on the couch as his body fell over to lay on the arm. There was a knock again and Altair still refused to leave his place.<p>

"Altair! Open up! I can hear your t.v." Shit. It was Maria. Maybe if he just didn't say anything, she'd go away.

Another knock, "Altair!" Damn.

The man groaned as he emerged from his layers of blankets, keeping one on his shoulders, and went to go answer the door. As soon as he turned the door knob, she was already inside. One of his eyebrows quirked upwards as he stared at the female. Why was she here? She looked dressed up for something although he a feeling he didn't want to ask.

"There's a cafe down the block that I want to go to, do want to come with me?" Her pink lips curled into a smile as she looked towards him- not even bothered by the fact that she had just invaded his apartment.

He stared at her like she was insane. Was she serious? They weren't even dating. In fact, they didn't even know each other before last night.

"I'm not letting you say no." She added. _What?_

So Altair found himself in the freezing cold air, arm in arm with a woman who basically took him against his will. She was lucky she was hot. Yeah, that was the reason. He refused to believe he was basically whipped right that this moment. Half of him was actually terrified of her. He's heard rumors about this woman you never wanted to hear.

He normally wouldn't mind going out with a girl. But today- he was groggy, tired, and maybe a little bit cranky. The petite cafe Maria talked about, he almost wanted to laugh at it. It looked like something he's seen in movies, maybe in Paris. It looked expensive and he had a feeling he had to pay for whatever Maria wanted to order.

They sat at a small table near the window. He immediately felt uncomfortable with all the people inside. It seemed like a popular place. But maybe most of the people were just in here to stay out of the cold. Altair immediately noticed the waiters dressed in white dress shirts with their sleeves pulled up and black vests and dress pants with a bow tie around their necks. Waitresses wore black dresses cut just above their knees and white aprons and small ribbon in the back. It was something that would make anyone laugh their heads off because of the cliche.

Maria was saying something while looking into a small mirror to check her make-up and hair. He hadn't caught anything she said. Especially with everyone talking inside the cramped building. He decided to nod anyways and he saw Maria's eyes lit up as she smiled with her pearly white teeth showing. It wasn't like he wasn't attracted to her. He was a man after all. In fact, he was very pretty. With nice features and a body that could reel in any guy she wanted. But that was the problem. So many guys have already been reeled in and he didn't want seconds.

"I'll get a chocolate mocha, extra whipped cream and a cherry on top. Oh, and a blueberry muffin with almond nuts." He heard Maria say from across the small table. She was ordering to someone Altair didn't even bother looking towards. Instead he was looking out the window, imagining how he could be sleeping right now.

"And _you_?" A male voice cut through his ears and Altair couldn't help but to notice that it sounded all-too-familiar.

His gold eyes peered up to the waiter with short, dark hair, tan skin, and charcoal eyes filled with annoyance. A small goatee on his chin and a missing arm to his side.

_Fuck._


End file.
